Mixers are used to mix and blend a variety of materials, such as food products and the like. Mixers typically include a removable mixing element that is attachable to a rotatable and/or orbitable output shaft of the mixer. Mixing elements come in various sizes and shapes and include agitators such as whips, dough hooks, beaters, etc. Such mixing elements are typically removably attached to the output shaft to enable the mixing elements to be removed or replaced for cleaning, repair, use of a different type of mixing element, etc.
A conventional mixer design includes a mixer having a mixer output shaft with a transversely-extending driving pin and having a mixing element with a keyway for attachingly receiving the output shaft. In this conventional design, the keyway includes a central passageway and a single slot projecting outwardly from the central passageway. The slot has a longitudinally-downward extending first portion connected to a circumferential extending second portion connected to a longitudinally-upward extending third portion. The mixing element is moved upward to insert the output shaft in the central passageway and the driving pin in the first portion of the slot, then is rotated to insert the driving pin in the second portion of the slot, and then is moved downward to insert the driving pin in the third portion of the slot. The third portion of the slot has a closed end (which is the torque-receiving portion of the slot in this conventional design) to longitudinally hold the mixing element in place. Typically, the radius of the driving pin is 0.28 inches, the output shaft has a diameter of 1.5 inches at the driving pin, and the longitudinal distance from the center of the driving pin to the lower end of the output shaft is 2.5 inches. Typically, the upper edge of the slot extends to a depth of at least 1.2 inches from the top of the mixing element when moving along the slot from the entry part of the slot to the torque-receiving portion of the slot.
What is needed is an improved mixing element and an improved mixer including such mixing element.